Lake Champlain Family Fishing
Some of my favorite memories of summer vacation when I was growing up were of fishing with my dad in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. I remember getting up at dawn and spending hours on the lake fishing, and then returning to do the same thing at the end of the day.
Vermont Promotes Family Fishing
The state of Vermont has made it easier for families and kids to enjoy fishing. Here are a few of the ways Vermont can help your family enjoy fishing.
- Kids under the age of 15 can fish without a license.
- There is a special fishing license for youths between 15 and 17 years old.
- Vermont offers two Free Fishing Days – one Saturday in June and one Saturday in January–when anyone can fish in Vermont without a license.
- Vermont offers one, three and seven-day fishing licenses.
- in addition, Vermont’s state biologists have put together a list of family-friendly fishing opportunities – where kids can take their parents fishing and have an excellent chance of catching fish using simple techniques. These locations offer shore fishing opportunities. At some, you may be able to rent a boat or launch your own. Some locations are at state parks so you can also enjoy a family camping trip.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Locations
Lake Champlain has an incredibly diverse fish community. The lake has over 90 species of fish, many of which are highly-prized recreational sport fish. Here are five great Lake Champlain family fishing locations maintained by the state of Vermont for your enjoyment.
1. Alburgh, Vermont
In the e
xtreme northwest corner of Vermont, at the northern end of Lake Champlain is the Korean War Veterans Fishing Access, which offers shore-bound anglers a great opportunity to fish Lake Champlain. The access area is just off of US Route 2 where it crosses from Vermont to New York.
This access area offers excellent fishing for fish species such as yellow perch, white perch, bluegill sunfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, and northern pike, and has a universally accessible fishing platform.
Late spring and early summer offers excellent fishing for panfish, like bluegill and perch, as well as bass and northern pike.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Tip- Casting a minnow or worm under a bobber is a great way to catch a variety of fish species. Try varying the depth until you begin catching fish. Spinnerbaits and minnow-imitating plugs are also good bets here.
2. Burton Island
Burton Island State Park is accessible only by boat or ferry and offers great fishing opportunities for anglers of all ages. Even children that struggle with casting can catch fish by dropping a baited hook from the floating docks in the marina. But if you fish from the docks, remember boats have the right-of-way.
Lake Champlain has a diverse fish community, and many of its species can be caught around Burton Island. You will be most likely to encounter largemouth and smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike, and chain pickerel.
Take exit 19 off of Interstate 89 and follow the highway access road to US Route 7. Turn right (north) onto Route 7. In St Albans, turn left (west) unto VT Route 36. After about 3.7 miles, turn left (south) onto Hathaway Point Road and follow it to Kill Kare State Park, where you can board the ferry to Burton Island.
The state park also offers camp sites, a swimming beach, and hiking trails. A fee is required to access the state park.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Tip- Fishing a live worm under a bobber is a great way to catch sunfish, perch, and largemouth bass in the marina. Try casting to openings in the weeds or fish right along the edges of the docks. If you use this technique at the rocky break wall along the north side of the marina or along the island’s rocky shore, you may be more likely to catch rock bass and smallmouth bass.
A flashy spinner, spoon, or minnow-imitating plug could draw a strike from bass, pike, or pickerel.
3. Lower Lamoille River
In Milton the lower Lamoille River drains into Lake Champlain. There are two Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department access areas that provide fishing opportunities on this stretch of the river.
Closest to Lake Champlain is the Lamoille River Access Area. From Exit 17 in Colchester on I-89, take US Route 2 west approximately 2.5 miles. Turn left onto Cub Road (you will need to first bear right to make a left turn). Take Cub Road until you come to a stop sign. At the stop sign turn left and then take the first right to the access.
The second, Sears Access Area, is located just upstream. Follow the directions as per above; however, after turning left at the stop sign on Cub Road, continue straight to the river instead of taking the first right.
Both access areas have fishing platforms and the fishing is often good right from the platforms. Both of these areas are universally accessible.
The lower Lamoille River connects directly to Lake Champlain and has a very diverse fish community. Some common species you should expect to encounter are: yellow perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, and northern pike. Other species that may be caught while fishing include walleye, landlocked Atlantic salmon and brown trout.
The lower Lamoille River offers excellent fishing from mid-May through the fall. The spring (May) offers the best chance to catch walleye during the spawning run. Typical summer catches include yellow and white perch, bullhead, and largemouth bass. In the fall, smallmouth bass are often captured in good numbers as they feed heavily on minnows in preparation for the coming winter.
If the fishing is slow, a short drive north on US route 2 will bring you to Sandbar State Park and the causeway across Lake Champlain connecting the mainland to Grand Isle. Once on Grand Isle, be sure to travel the few extra miles to Ed Weed Fish Culture Station, operated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, where you can take a tour of the state’s newest and largest fish hatchery.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Tip- One of the simplest and most productive methods that will capture a wide variety of fish species is a nightcrawler on a single hook with some weight. Depending on the current, you may need more or less weight, but the goal should be to get the bait near the bottom.
You can also fish live bait (worm or a minnow) under a bobber, but be sure to experiment with the depth. Casting inline spinners, spinnerbaits, and small minnow-imitating plugs are also productive methods. Water levels can fluctuate following heavy rains, which can make fishing difficult until flows decrease.
4. Lower Winooski River
The lower Winooski River has a diverse fish population primarily because it has a direct connection to Lake Champlain. Any species found in Lake Champlain can be found in the lower river. There are two public access areas on the lower Winooski River, which is located in Colchester and Burlington, VT and drains into Lake Champlain. Both access areas have fishing platforms, and the fishing is often good right from the platforms.
At Windermere Way Access Area you can walk down the bike path and get near the mouth of the river. The fishing platform at Windermere Way is also universally accessible, and portable toilets are available. To get to Windermere Way Access Area, take I-89 to Exit 16. Head north on US Route 7 toward Colchester. Turn left onto Blakely Road and travel to Lakeshore Drive. Bear left onto Lakeshore Drive and continue to Holy Cross Road. Continue on Holy Cross to a 4-way intersection where you will continue straight towards Colchester Point. Turn left onto Windermere Way and follow to the access area. If you have bikes you can easily get to Windermere Way by taking the Burlington Bike Path north.
Just west of the Windermere Way Access Area is the Burlington bike path, which passes through Winooski Park District’s Delta Park. The Heineberg Bridge Access Area is further upstream where VT Route 127 crosses the river. To get to the Heineburg Bridge Access Area, take Exit 16 from I-89 onto US Route 7. Travel north for approximately 2 miles to Colchester, then turn left onto VT Route 127. Travel on VT Route 127 approximately 4 miles to Malletts Bay, then turn left onto Prim Road (Rte. 127 continuation). Travel another 1.75 miles on Rte 127/Prim Road, and the entrance to the Access Area will be on the right just before Rte 127 crosses the Winooski River.
Some common species you should expect to encounter are: yellow perch, white perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass, brown bullhead, and northern pike. Other species that may occasionally be caught include walleye, landlocked Atlantic salmon, lake trout, and brown trout.
In general, mid-May through fall offers excellent fishing in the lower river. However the variety and abundance of species will change through the season. For example, your chances of catching a walleye are best in May during the spawning season, while yellow and white perch are most abundant in the river in the summer months.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Tip- One of the simplest methods is a nightcrawler on a single hook with some weight. Depending on the water current, you may need more or less weight, but the goal should be to get the bait near the bottom. You can also use a bobber during summer low flow conditions, but as always, try to experiment with depth. Another useful technique is it to try casting an inline spinner or small minnow-imitating plug. Avoid fishing after heavy rains, which can increase flows and muddy the water, making fishing difficult.
5. Shelburne Bay
Shelburne Bay is a large bay on Lake Champlain, located in the town of Shelburne, south of Burlington. You can fish along the shoreline at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s access area, with best fishing from the bridge on Bay Road to the point. You can also access the La Platte River, where the best fishing is usually found closer to the bridge.
Take US Route 7 to Shelburne and turn west onto Bay Road. Travel west on Bay Road approximately 1 mile, and the Access Area will be on the right. Once at the access area you can either fish the La Platte River (Bay Road crosses this river) or Shelburne Bay and Lake Champlain itself.
As part of Lake Champlain, this location has an incredibly diverse fish community. Lake Champlain has over 90 species of fish, many of which are highly-prized recreational sport fish. This access area offers excellent fishing both in Shelburne Bay and in the La Platte River for fish species such as yellow perch, white perch, bluegill sunfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, and northern pike.
If you fish at the right time of year (early spring and late fall), you may even encounter lake trout or rainbow trout. Late spring and early summer offers excellent fishing for panfish and bass, as well as northern pike.
If the fishing is slow, there are a number of fun things to do nearby. Just west of the access area is Shelburne Bay Park which has a beautiful one-mile walking trail along Lake Champlain. If you head into the town of Shelburne you can find more trails at La Platte Nature Park, just off Shelburne Falls Road. The Shelburne Museum and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory are both right on route 7. Burlington is also just a short 15-minute drive away.
Lake Champlain Family Fishing Tip- Casting a minnow or worm under a bobber out into Shelburne Bay is a great way to catch a variety of fish species. Try varying the depth until you begin catching fish. Spinnerbaits and minnow-imitating plugs are also good bets here.
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